Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

T he car was quiet as they approached the intersection. Someone in control must have known the plan because the light turned red right as she entered the intersection.

Flashing lights went off and Waverly was pulled over. She instantly got out of the car, leaving her door open so the dome lights stayed on. Kane risked a peek in the mirror, but saw his view was mostly blocked by the patrol car.

"Go," Kane whispered as the back door opened and Penelope and Damon slipped from it before Paxton silently closed it. The officer had left his front door open so no lights would give Damon and Pen away.

"I'll let you off with a warning, but you need to watch your driving," the officer said loudly before heading back to his car.

Waverly took a deep breath and got back in her car as the agent drove his car around Waverly's and headed for the college with Damon and Pen hiding in the back.

"Is your tail still on you?" Paxton asked.

"Yes," Waverly said, pulling back into traffic.

"Don't worry. We got everything covered. Just try to get Bruno to talk. Who hired him? What do they want with you?" Kane instructed.

Waverly didn't answer. She was focused as she drove the rest of the way to the old warehouses.

"Leave the door open again," Paxton instructed. "I'm willing to bet the tail will park and head in behind you to box you in. We'll come in right after them."

"I can do this. I can do this." Kane heard Waverly whisper to herself as she came to a stop at warehouse three.

"You can. You're smart, Waverly. Use it as a weapon. Outsmart them. Know that I love you and Lark and won't let anything happen. Trust me. Now go." Kane gave her the command and it snapped her out of her temporary paralysis.

It was torture watching Waverly get out of the car and walk into the warehouse alone.

Waverly walked in on trembling legs. She just got inside the door when she saw the construction lights set up with a table and two chairs in the middle of them. The rest of the warehouse was in shadows. Bruno sat at the table looking completely relaxed.

"Ah, there she is. Come, join me."

"Where's my sister?" Waverly looked around.

"She'll join us once our business is over."

"You're lying," Waverly said, not budging until she felt the gun on her back. Her tail had arrived.

Bruno just laughed. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But it's not as if you didn't do a little lying too."

"Me?" Waverly was actually surprised. What had she lied to Bruno about besides being alone in the car. Did they know Kane was with her?

"You were rescued only a couple days ago?" Bruno tsked . "We both know that's not true. Where have you been?"

"It's true. Kane did rescue me a couple days ago. He flew to the Bahamas and picked me up. I had grabbed a small dead palm tree and some sticks and floated away. They told me I was found by a fisherman. I don't know when. I was so sick and fevered I don't remember anything. I just remember needles. I'm guessing antibiotics. Then when the fever finally broke and I was well enough to actually talk, I called my sister who called Kane. I was picked up and brought home." Waverly spun the story as if it were true. "You wanted me to die. Why?"

"You're worth more dead than alive," Bruno said with a shrug. "But you're still lying. I know you didn't kill my men."

"Me? Kill what men? I barely stumbled out of that bathroom when the door opened."

Bruno's brow creased. "What do you mean?"

"I was so sick, I was delirious. I thought I was imagining it, but my door just opened. It took me a while to realize it was actually open and not a hallucination. First I went to the boat you brought me in, but it was sinking. That's when I grabbed the trees and made the best makeshift raft I could with what little energy I had left. Then I waded into the water and floated away in the darkness."

"You didn't see my men?"

Waverly frowned. "No. I didn't see anybody. I thought they all left with you," she lied.

Bruno spoke quietly to someone standing by the lights. "It doesn't matter," Bruno said, turning back to her. "What matters is you made me look bad. I was hired to do a job. And in my business, reputation is everything."

"Someone really did hire you to kill me? I don't know why. I'm just a science geek. Why would anyone want me dead?"

"I don't know and I don't care. I'm the subcontractor. Now, we need to make this look somewhat accidental. I'm thinking a mugging gone wrong."

"Wait!" Waverly cried out, trying to stall him. "How did you know I told my work when I was rescued?"

Bruno paused and clearly looked confused.

"I only told my co-workers when I was rescued. Yet, you knew. Who told you what I said?" Waverly demanded.

"It wasn't from anyone you worked with. That's for sure," Bruno chuckled. "Take her."

Waverly reached into her purse and when the first hand reached for her, she pulled her dagger free and stabbed the hand that grabbed her shoulder.

Gunshots rang out, but Waverly only had eyes on Bruno. He made a run for the back and Waverly dashed after him. He shoved the backdoor open and a hail of gunfire at his feet had him sliding to a stop.

Fighting sounded behind her and she knew Kane, Paxton, Granger, and Dare were cleaning up in there. Bruno turned to her. He looked wild, like a caged animal.

"Who told you, Bruno? If you tell me, maybe they won't kill you."

"If you kill me, your sister is dead."

That cut all the bravado from Waverly.

"That's not going to happen. She's currently with the FBI." Kane appeared beside Waverly. He didn't reach for her, but he leaned his shoulder against hers to stop her from sagging with relief. "Now, my girlfriend asked you a question. How did you find out about what she said at her work?"

Bruno took a step back and a bullet hit the gravel an inch from where he stood. Slowly, Hunter emerged from the shadows, but Waverly knew that shot had come from a nearby rooftop based on the angle of it. Someone was in a sniper position.

"My brother is a lot nicer than I am," Hunter said as he pulled out a blade. "I know lots of ways to get you to talk."

"Always with the force," Kane said, shaking his head. "Never underestimate psychological torture. That's my specialty. I can make you go mad to the point that you're begging for death. Trust me when I tell you, it's a much longer, slower, and painful experience than having your skin peeled from your body with a little waterboarding thrown in for fun."

Waverly almost gagged at the image. She knew that was Kane's plan. He had been in the BAU. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Last chance or I'll let my very pissed-off brother take you. Who hired you to kill Waverly and how did you know what she said at work?" Hunter threatened.

"Sardis Medina. He knew. I don't know how, but he hired me to make it look like an accident."

"See how easy that was? Arrest him," Kane ordered. The FBI poured in, led by Paxton.

Waverly finally sagged against Kane, his arms instantly going around her. "Lark is safe?"

"Yes," Kane told her. "The message came through right after you got out of the car. A selfie of my sister and your sister grinning and giving the peace sign with the guys in handcuffs behind them. I'm afraid we've made a colossal mistake."

Waverly's heart skipped a beat. "A mistake?"

Kane nodded. "We introduced Penelope to Lark. I fear the world will never be safe again."

Waverly felt the laugh build from the bottom of her stomach and couldn't stop it from launching itself into the world. She laughed so hard that tears streamed down her face, especially after Kane showed her the selfie.

"Let's send one back," Waverly told him between laughs. Kane held up his phone with Bruno and his gang being led into FBI cruisers with their lights flashing. "Heart hands."

Waverly held up half a heart with her left hand and Kane completed the heart. He snapped the selfie and sent it to Penelope and Lark.

"Come on. Let's get home. The FBI can take it from here. They have enough with Bruno's admitting Sardis hired him to put him away for a very long time." Kane kissed the top of her head and pulled her away from the swarm of FBI activity.

"Still," Waverly said with a frown, "how did Sardis know?"

"The FBI will tap his phones, and get warrants for his email and his financials. At least as much as they can from the U.S. and depending on how much the DR cooperates. But even then, banks will usually cooperate. They'll find a connection to one of your co-workers. It's only a matter of time before it's all over."

"Promise?" Waverly asked, still not liking the loose end.

"Promise. One way or the other, this will all be over soon."